Question From a Future Lab Owner

**chadt** · 01-10-2012, 02:43 PM

Hello. My family just purchased our own home and are ready to purchase a puppy. We have a 4-year old and a 12-year old. We have narrowed it down to a labrador retriever. So I have a few questions if anyone can help me out. Thank you in advance.

1. We have been looking at getting a full breed. How much is too much to pay? What should we look for when selecting a breeder? I have heard that full breeds may have issues of overbreeding. Should I try to find a breeder that does not breed their dogs very often?

2. The puppy will be home by themself for about 7 hours a day. Is this normal? The only option is waiting until summer so my daugher and son could by with him/her full time but I am not sure they can handle the relationship. If we got the puppy now I would take a week off of work to be with the puppy and leave it there for a few hours each day. And I can have neighbors come by once a day to take the puppy outside. Any advice in this area would really be apprecieated.

Thank you in advance for any help!

**Samson** · 01-10-2012, 02:47 PM

7 hours is too long for a puppy.

You would need to arrange daycare or get a neighbour to help with letting them out !

**chadt** · 01-10-2012, 02:54 PM

Okay I can do that. Do you know how we would need to do that? I hate the feeling of leaving her home alone for so long. My mother will stop by once a day to let her out. Will that be good enough?

Thank you for the quick response!

**Mark_J** · 01-10-2012, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by chadt

Hello. My family just purchased our own home and are ready to purchase a puppy. We have a 4-year old and a 12-year old. We have narrowed it down to a labrador retriever. So I have a few questions if anyone can help me out. Thank you in advance.

I'll start off by saying great choice in breeds!

Originally Posted by chadt

1. We have been looking at getting a full breed. How much is too much to pay? What should we look for when selecting a breeder? I have heard that full breeds may have issues of overbreeding. Should I try to find a breeder that does not breed their dogs very often?

How much you spend on the dog depends on what role you would like the dog to fill. If you want a show dog you're going to end up spending a lot more than if you want a family pet. There is also the timing of when you buy the dog. We bought Moxie for $350.00, the next litter from the same parents each pup was sold for $1500. When we contacted the owners they were moving into a new home and they had to sell the pups quickly, we were there at the right time and could help them out! Just because a puppy might be selling cheap doesn't always mean they come from bad lines or are not worth a lot more. Research the breeder and the lines the puppy comes from. I would say in my area a family Lab would run you anywhere from $250 to $750. I've seen specialty Labs run anywhere from $1500.00 to as high as $3000.

Originally Posted by chadt

2. The puppy will be home by themself for about 7 hours a day. Is this normal? The only option is waiting until summer so my daugher and son could by with him/her full time but I am not sure they can handle the relationship. If we got the puppy now I would take a week off of work to be with the puppy and leave it there for a few hours each day. And I can have neighbors come by once a day to take the puppy outside. Any advice in this area would really be apprecieated.

Thank you in advance for any help!

Having a puppy alone for 7 hours a day is commonplace for a lot of families. You will have to make accommodations for that puppy during that amount of time though. They will need a place to go to the bathroom, a water supply that cannot be turned over or contaminated, food and a place to sleep that is preferably not close to where they go to the bathroom. There are many ways to accomplish this using crates, doggie doors, outdoor runners and many other methods that can all work out quite nicely. with a puppy as young as 8 weeks it's a nice idea to have someone be able to check on them at least once in the middle of that 7 hour period, however if that is not an option with some careful planning you can overcome that.

**Samson** · 01-10-2012, 03:08 PM

I don't think that once will be enough ! I got Dylan as a rescue at five months old for exactly the same reason i.e. it's not fair to expect an eight week old pup to hold it's bladder for 3 1/2 hours. Daycae would be the best solution and if you let us know your location then somebody here will no doubt be able to help with local advice unless you live in Mongolia ! ?

At five months old they can hold their own but even then it is necessary to let them out straight away to relieve themselves or face an accident.

**Dio's mama** · 01-10-2012, 03:13 PM

I got Dio when he was 8 weeks old. I am a teacher and I was fortunate to get him during my 2 months off in the summer. After that, when I returned to work in the fall I had someone come 1-2 times a day to let him out to potty and to play with him. The crate is an amazing tool in keeping the puppy and your house safe!

I also had him in a puppy pen for the first 2 months, until he figured out how to escape it.

**Samson** · 01-10-2012, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by Mark_J

I'll start off by saying great choice in breeds!

How much you spend on the dog depends on what role you would like the dog to fill. If you want a show dog you're going to end up spending a lot more than if you want a family pet. There is also the timing of when you buy the dog. We bought Moxie for $350.00, the next litter from the same parents each pup was sold for $1500. When we contacted the owners they were moving into a new home and they had to sell the pups quickly, we were there at the right time and could help them out! Just because a puppy might be selling cheap doesn't always mean they come from bad lines or are not worth a lot more. Research the breeder and the lines the puppy comes from. I would say in my area a family Lab would run you anywhere from $250 to $750. I've seen specialty Labs run anywhere from $1500.00 to as high as $3000.

Having a puppy alone for 7 hours a day is commonplace for a lot of families. You will have to make accommodations for that puppy during that amount of time though. They will need a place to go to the bathroom, a water supply that cannot be turned over or contaminated, food and a place to sleep that is preferably not close to where they go to the bathroom. There are many ways to accomplish this using crates, doggie doors, outdoor runners and many other methods that can all work out quite nicely. with a puppy as young as 8 weeks it's a nice idea to have someone be able to check on them at least once in the middle of that 7 hour period, however if that is not an option with some careful planning you can overcome that.

Personally, I think that seven hours is too long, but I accept that some people will do this regardlessly ! It is not ideal to leave them for that long IMO but at the end of the day it is your choice !

**citronella** · 01-10-2012, 03:49 PM

HI, We live in the country and commute to the city and I thought 8 to 10 hours alone during the day was too long so I bring her in and leave her with my parents because I work close by or my daughter takes her when she isn't working (flight attendant). She goes to daycare once a week, however, here you can't bring your dog to daycare until they've had all their shots. I don't know what the regulations are like where you live. Something to check into.

**SharonaZamboni** · 01-10-2012, 04:12 PM

Don't overlook the possibility of an older pup. I got Bean at almost 4 months old. I'm glad that I got an older puppy. He was house trained! Also, most of his mouthiness was just teething and it stopped fairly quickly.

**LuvBrown** · 01-10-2012, 05:25 PM

Mark j you are way off in your beliefs About how to get a pup and how much to pay. A dog from a reputable breeder will cost the same if it's a show prospect or a pet. A reputable breeder does not discount their puppies and dont plan a move during puppy raising. Prices will vary depending on where you live. Expect to pay about $1000. Any less and you can sure as shit bet that the breeder is skimping on clearances or sending the pups to homes too early.